While mass democracy for white men had taken hold in America during the 1820s
and 1830s, a political tradition remaining from earlier, more elite times was a
tacit prohibition on candidates campaigning openly for the presidency. That
office was considered too dignified for such behavior, so the candidates’
supporters gave speeches, engaged in debates, published editorials, and rallied
voters on behalf of the nominees. In 1860, however, Stephen Douglas broke
tradition by going on a speaking tour through the Northeast and the South, areas
where he was most vulnerable.